UNOPS provides US $ 1 million worth medical equipment

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) provided Sri Lanka’s health authorities with US$ 1 million worth medical equipment to control the COVID-19 outbreak

The Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry (MOH), UNOPS and the Japan Embassy in Sri Lanka announced their support in controlling the coronavirus outbreak at the ceremony to hand over the equipment recently in Colombo.

:We thanks the Government of Japan and UNOPS for their contribution” Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has placed the efficiency of public procurement in the spotlight . The ability of governments to source what they need in a timely, transparent and responsible manner has become vital during this emergency response across the world,” UNOPS Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Sudhir Muralidharan said.

Public procurement in Sri Lanka represents close to 15 per cent of the total GDP of which 0.9 per cent is spent on public health procurement. The implementation of better public spending practices can play a critically important role in helping countries make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNOPS – the central resource for procurement and infrastructure in the UN system - has been a partner of the Health Ministry since 2005 with a significant portfolio of projects delivered in Healthcare Infrastructure and Procurement for over US$ 40 million through constructing and renovating 65 hospitals and health centres across the island.